PM Narendra Modi launches Delhi Metro's Faridabad corridor

Faridabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the much-awaited Badarpur-Faridabad Metro that will connect the national capital with the satellite town and hoped that it would give impetus to economic growth in the region.

Modi, who himself took a train of the Metro’s Violet Line (Line 6) from Janpath station in Delhi to reach Bata Chowk station here, said the new section could help boost employment opportunities in this key industrial hub.

“Haryana has the biggest potential to attract tourists from Delhi,” he said, adding that people could use the Metro especially for weekend excursions which would provide livelihood opportunities for the youth here.

Modi also highlighted how the newly built section is using clean energy in the form of solar power to generate around 2 Megawatts (peak) to help run its operations. “In the coming days, how clean and environment-friendly railway stations can be created….is the direction in which the Metro is running a sucessful campaign,” he said.

He said that at a time when the entire world is worried about global warming, Delhi Metro is making its contribution to the green movement. “Metro is not just a facility for traveling. It can provide pace to economic activity. And therefore this rally was also named ‘gati-pragati’ (speed and progress) rally,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister said the extension was built at a cost of nearly Rs 2,500 crore and another Rs 600-700 crore will be spent to extend it to Ballabhgarh. The 14-km-long extension has nine stations from Sarai to Escorts Mujesar, covering large part of the satellite township. Two more stations, NCB Colony and Ballabgarh, will come up by 2017.

The distance between the two terminal stations of Line 6 — ITO and Escorts Mujesar — would be covered in about one hour and 20 minutes. The other stations are Sarai, NHPC Chowk, Mewala Maharajpur, Sector 28, Badkal Mor, Old Faridabad, Neelam Chowk Arjonda and Bata Chowk.

Once fully operational, Line 6 will span from Kashmere Gate to Escorts Mujesar having a length of 43.4 kms, with a total of 32 stations including five inter-change stations, namely Kashmere Gate, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, Lajpat Nagar and Kalkaji Mandir.

According to official estimates, presently the average ridership on Line 6 stands at around 1.92 lakh per day. It is expected to go up by another 2 lakh with the launch of the new section.

To tackle the rush, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is pressing into service five six-coach trains in its Line 6, which has a fleet of 30 trains. The rest 25 will gradually be converted into six-coach trains as well, DMRC said. Fare from Escorts Mujesar to ITO has been fixed at Rs 28. It will be Rs 27 from Escorts Mujesar to Central Secretariat and Rajiv Chowk stations.